Storage-battery cover and post seal



Jan. 6, 1925. l

w. E. GossLlNG 522,439

STORAGE BATTERY COVER AND POST SEAL Filed Dec. 10, 1920 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 6. 1925.

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. GOSSLING, OF NEU" YORK. N. Y.. ASSIGNOR TO THE PRESTO-LITE COM- PANY. INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STORAGE-BATTERY COVER AND POST SEAL.

Application fired December 1o, 1920.

v'/o f/J/ itaom if 11111141/ concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. Gossmxo. a citizen ot' the lluited States, residing at 156 Sherman Ave.. New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage-Battery Covers and Post Seals, ot Whieh the following is a specification.

This invention relates to storage batteries and particularly to an improved cover `for a storage battery cell and means for sealing' the Cell to prevent leakage of the electrolyte therefrom. The invention is. herein illustrated as applied to storage batteries of the airplane type, but it is to be understood that in its broader aspects the invention may also be applied to other types of storage batteries.

In some types ot' storage batteries, especially those where the cell dimensions are omparativelify small. as for example in airplane batteries. it has heretofore been dillicult to providev leal; proof joints between the` sealing compound and the antimon)7 lead terminal postsl of the coll. as Well as between other portionsl ol' the cell. and it ia a pri mary object ol' the present invention toy provide a rowr moans that may readily be applied to sufh rolls and bv nuans` ol' Vwhich tho joints univ bo ell'ectivoly scaled to prevent leakage ot thi: oleCtrOlyte. v

The above and other objects and tbe novel features of thel invention will bo apparent from the followingl doscril'ition taken in C011 ncctiou with tho drawings. which constitnto a part of this appliration. and in which Vig. l is a vertical longitudinal srt-tional View illustrating a, portion ot a storage battery Cell embodying this invention.

'Figl Q is a plan view of the same, the scaling' Composition being omitted for the salto of cloarness,

Figs. il and 4 are partial plan views of other storage battery Cells embodying this invention, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion ot another battery and cover embodying this invention.

Generally speaking. the improved cover embodying the present invention. is adapted 1o lit within the upper end of the Coll and comprises bushing,r portions hai-'ing a press or lit with the terminal posts, an interme- Serial No 429,749.

diattx portion having a rent projecting above said bushing portions. and ,sealing composition covering' tin `io'nls between the posts and rovor. and thel cowr and cell walls. A desir-abitI t-nibodiiarot ol the invention consists ot' a number ot' sot-lions which are oomplementaiv and which. oben they are assembled together. torni the complete cover proper over which the smiling composition is poured. lu this arrangement. the cover proper consists ot tvfo similar bushing members which artl provided with openings to tightly lit the positive and negative terniinal posts of the cell. with an intermediate bridging' member having a vent and adapted to abut against or overlap the opposed ends of the bushingr members. thereby providing a, substantially continuous tl'iree-pieee cover disposed a slight distant-e below the up e edge ol' the cell. The cover is prefere l-v formed ol suitable non-corroiflible comparatively rigid but slightly elastic or expan- .sible niateriai. surh as hard rubber, so that the openings in the bushing parts may be lslightly expanded when fitting them over tlak terminal posts to provide a press fit on the terminal posts. The terminal posts may be painted with a thin sealingr compound or arid resisting paint to insure a tight joint lietvvccn the postsv and the bushings. The bridging' part is provided with a hollow boss on its upper sidix desirably projecting abovi` Isaid bushings and being,r internally threaded to receive a vont plug having a apillary vent passage therethrough.

For purposes of illustration. the iuvention is shown as applied to a .st-orage battery ol` the airplane type7 having a container or `iai' consisting of a number ot integrally eonnented Cells J. Flach cell may be substan tiall \Y rectangular in outline and relatively narrow as compared with its length dimenn sion, and of suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber. The cell J contains the usual :told or other electrolyte in which groups of positive and negative plates L of an)v desirable type, are submerged. These groups of plates are res ectivelv secured to tht. similar positive an( negative strap or terminal posts P and N respectively, as by casting or otherwise uniting the upper or lu'y; portions ot the plates ot' similar polarity tog-other to the plate straps 1l, which ma)l be cast integrally with the lower ends of of the terminal posts.

cell shall not leak out, a suitable cover meansis applied thereto desirably below7 the upper edge of the cell and below the upper ends The limited cell di mensions renders it diflicultv to 'effectively seal the cell against leakage, with covers heretofore employed, and a cover consisting of parts having a press it with the terminal ostsiihas been found tol be more satisfactory.

e cover means as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4E comprises two substantially similar bushing members A and C, respectively, fittin the osts P and N, and an intermediete rid'ging member B adapted to overlap' the opposed portions of the bushing menibers A and C and completing the cover proper. When the cover members or sections A, B and C are adjusted in place, sealing composition is poured onto their upper surfaces to the level of the upper edge of the cell jar to seal all joints.

lrubber, and comprises a sleeve Inasmucli as the bushing members A and C are substantially similar in construction. only one of them will be described in detail. Each bushing member may be formed of suitable non-corrodible comparatively rigid but slightly elastic material such as hard ortion 12, therectangular o ening 13 o which is Vinitially made of slightly smaller dimensions than the cross sectionvof; the strap post to which it is. to be a plied so thatvvlien the bushing is applied y being pressed directly onto the post, it will have a press fit therewith and form anacid roof joint with the surface of the post and the acid resisting paint or coating of sealing composition which may be applied to the exterior of the post. The upper end of the post may be beveled as at 14 so that the bushing may be more easily a lied to the post and the bushing may be s ightly heated so that it will more readily expand when it is applied to the post. By using elast-ic material for these sleeves, the tension or stresses set up in the material by forcing thev sleevesvdown over the posts causing the hard rubber about the openings to exert a vgripping action on the posts and insuring a tight fit of the sleeves on the posts. The lower endof the bushing is provided with a rectangular flange 15, the under surface of which abuts u against and is adapted to provide a sealing joint with the upper face ofthe plate strap 11 when the bushing has been applied to the post. Three of the edges of the bushing 15 extend laterally closely adjacent tothe inner end walls J and inner side ivalls J of the cell jar and the fourth edge of the flange extends toward the corresponding flange on the other post, as atfili, poviding opposed supports or abutmeiits for the intermediate cover member B.

The intermediate cover member B is also desirably of non-coilrodible relatively rigid material such as hard rubber and ma be of any suitable co ruction to close t e gap between the opposed parts 15' of the flanges on the bushings and the opposite inner walls J of the cell jar. The intermediate cover section B may consist of a substantially rectangular plate portion 16 that is adapted to'lie on or abut against the ledge formed by the flange portions 15 of the bushings and may be provided on its under sides inwardly from its end edges, with lugs 17 adapted to fit close to or abut against the edges of the flanges and against the upper faces of the plate straps 11. Thus the ends of the cover member B interfit or abut A and C and complete the cover proper, sub` stantially closing the upper end of the' cell jar J yabove the plate straps 11, 11. kIt is not yessential that the sealing bushings A and C be forced down onto the upper face of the plate strapsll. Where it is found desirable, a boss may be cast on the plate strap post some distance above the late strap 11 to form a shoulder against w ich the under surface of the flange 15 may abut, Furthermore, the opposite ends of. the plate portion 16 of the intermediate cover member B may be'grooved or otherwise formed so as to receive in such groove the opposed flanges 15 of the bushing members A and C, thereby locking the parts A, B and CA together and for some purposes providing a better seal between the intermediate memthe cover member B maybe provided on itsr upper side with a hollow boss 18 that projects upwardly slightly above theupper edge of the cell jar and `is internall threaded as at 18 to receive a vent plug lyo the usual or any preferred type having a suitable capillary vent passage 19 in the threaded stem 20 that fits within the threaded portion t 18 of the boss 18, and may be provided with a'sealing gasket, as at 18 iso Iii)

llt)

When the bushing member :tn i and the intermediate member l ipt toen assent` bled in position. suitable stanno; t-oinposition S in a molten I'ondition. is poured upon the upper surfant thert :it substantially level with the upper edge niI the veil iur J to seal the joints4 het wenn ilu' 1 o or #notions and the inner y'all oi tlu` t-t-ll. the joints i @neen the bushings and tin antintnvleml ternnnal posts` as well as tia ioints hetwran the iinshin members A\ and Q an'l ilu inter mediate member l. thu;`4 prot iilinoj an wid` prooi' over and val tot' the veli iai'. und one in which the several part@` ot' fito roror ma)v he readily plat-tid in assembled relation. llitiier of the settions or ma); he removed without iiistufhiin;7 tinother. and the, intermediate .station l), is .separahio from the vwel ions A and t` and removable without. dis turbine them.

ln tiaxonstrnt-tion .shown in Fig. the general .shape oi' the plate strap post' l if; eiliptit'al. the ends ot" the post heiner roundmi to aroid eorniirs. The opening` iii in tiasleeve portion l2" oi' the limiting ment` her in this instaure, of a shape simi-` lar to the shape ot' tho post l". except that its dimension is initiallyY slightlyv smaller than that oi the post so that. when tht`l hushing momia-r A is forced onto the post l. a press tit will he obtained. The type of voter shown in Fig. vl is otherwise "intantiaiiv the same as that. illnstrated'in Fig.. i and 2.

ln Fig. Ii. the plate strap or terminal post' 1 is suiistantiaily ot'lindriral and oi' r-oin'se the opening iii in the 'sleeve portion t2 ot' the hushingg` member is snlislantiall)v ir vular hut initially slightly smaller than the sizeof the post i"to obtain the press tit h"- tween the hashing and post previouslyY referred to. 'lhe lower portion of tht` strap postr 1". itowerer. may have one or more outward proie-tions l) thereon. adapted to tit into one or mortt'orresponding: recesses or indentations lt in the wall ot' the opening iii" so as to assist. in lorating' the bushing' meinher A arrnrateiy in relation to the post P. 'l'ite trpfx oil cover and post Sealing means shown' in Fig. Ylis otherwise substantially .similar to thtone disrlosed in Figs. l and Q.

ln the cover shown in Fig. 5. the parts (1, l; and f aro integrali;v joined together` theI bushing parts o and r' being provided with sleeve portions i2l having openings initiallyv ot smaller size than the terminal post p, n and adapted to hare a press fit therewith and hearingr on slioulde-s on the posts. and the intermediate portion havingV a rent V Vprojeetingl alloro said hashingr portions and ahove thrA top edge ol' the t'ell. Sealing vom iosition S rovers the joints between the bushings and the posts and between the rover and the inside of the eell J. In other respects, this cover is substantially similar to the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

llhile the invention has been shown and dest-rilawl as applied to an airplane-type hatterj. weil. it is to he understood that its oppiiwnitn is not lioressarily limited to sut-h batteries. llore-'net'. various moditieationsy ot' the intention may be devised. without depaztin'r from the prinvipies herein disclosed or ritieinpany oi` the advantages thereof.

l riaiin:

i. The combination with a .storage hatteri will. oi" terminal posts ronneeted to the platr.H in .said reti and prolieetinggj from the upper ond thereof. Aand cor-er means for sant roll romprising` tianged luis-lungs ot' hard rubber havingr a press tit with said posts. and a plate bridging the spare lietnetn the opposed flangesl ot' said bushings and intertitting with such fianges. said plate having an upper hollow boss intermediate its ends. a vent plug fitting Said hollow boss. and sealing t-omposition covering the joint; between said bushings and plato, the joints between said bushings and posts and the joints between said eel?L wail and the bushings and plate.

2. The combination with a storage battory cell that is relatively narrow, elements in said cell. relatively narrow terminal posts connected to said elements and pro- ,iertingj above the upper enti of said eell, and over means Ytor said cell comprising hashing-s provided with narrow openings. the inner walls oi'V which are press fitted to .said posts, said husliings having fianges extending: laterally adjacent to inside Walls oi' said rrll and a plate disposed between Vand interlltting with said flanges. said plate having' a vent [mss-age therein.

3. ln a storage battery, the combination ot' a eell jar relatively long and narrow in plan, elements in said jar, straps eonneeted to said elements. terminal posts integral with said straps and having parts relatirel)v longP and narrow in transverse section projeetinp` from the upper end ot' said jar, and cover means for said `jar including hard rubber bushings comprising' sleeves having a press [it with said posts and flanges disposed at the lower ends o1 said sleeves bearmg on said strapsI and extt'indingadjacent to inside walls ot' said jar, a plate disposed between saidbushings and having portions abutting against and overlapping portions ot the flanges of said bushings, and sealing composition covering the joints between the parts of Said cover means and the jar and posts adjacent. thereto.

4. The combination with a storage battery having terminal osts. of cover means provided with hartl rniiber bushing portions having openings therethrough initially of smaller cross-sectional size than such posts, said posts being forced into said openings and slightl)V expandingr the latter, thereby setting up stresses insaid bushing portions adapted to exert a; .gripping action constituting thesole means that secures such cover means to said posts.

5. The method of securing and Sealing a oover to :L terminal post of n storage hottry that coinprisos providing cover moans with hard rubber portions having openings initially of smaller (-ross-sfvtional size than such posts. forcing suoli posts into suoli openings, tlivrebf.' slightly vxpanding' the latter and setting' np stresses in the :nijncent cover portions adapted io oxvrl' n grip pingr action on snr-l1 posts to seonrv the cover means thereto.

6. The method of securing and sealing a cover to tho terminal posts of :i storage battery that comprises providing hard rnbber cover means with bushing,r portions having Openings initially of sinallor crosssectioniil size than the parts of suoli posts .to which such rover is finally fitted, henting snoh cover monns, nml forcingr suoli posts into suoli openings whilo suoli Cover means is in bontril condition. whereby suoli openings aro slightly oxpnmlod :unl npon Cooling Stresses nro sol np in thv adjoining bushingr portions whim-li @xvii n grippingr notion on slnl'i posis to sxwnl'o sniil vow-.r

moans tllorvto and soul tho tho rover moans and posts.

4lit tostimony 'inreof, l ntlix my signutnre. i

joint lioiworn WALTER E. GSSLI NG. 

